Two men pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Criminal Court to charges they schemed homeowners out of nine properties, the district attorney’s office said Wednesday.
Russell Carbone, 69, faces fines and restitution, and Terrell Hill, 40, could go to prison after entering guilty pleas. Prosecutors said the pair searched for homes whose owners had died and tricked the rightful heirs into turning over their properties.
In several cases, according to the Queens district attorney’s office, Carbone and Hill forged signatures on property records to make themselves the new owners. In all, they stole nine homes — seven in southeast Queens and two on Long Island.
As part of a plea agreement, the court voided those deeds, so their original owners can reclaim the properties.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement that her office launched a special unit three years ago “to protect homeowners from predatory real estate scams that often target vulnerable neighborhoods.”
“With the conclusion of this prosecution, the largest we have undertaken so far, our office will have restored a total of 14 homes to their rightful owners,” she said.
Prosecutors said Carbone, a disbarred attorney, and Hill, a landscaper, forged signatures on property records multiple times between November 2019 and February 2023. They then notarized those documents — sometimes with fake notary stamps they bought from Amazon — and filed them with the city’s Department of Finance.
In 2019, according to the DA’s office, Carbone and Hill attempted to convince a woman to sell a house in Jamaica that she and her brother had inherited. After the woman declined their offer, prosecutors said, they persisted, filing paperwork to transfer the title anyway.
Carbone’s real estate company and Hill each received 48% ownership, while the woman and her brother were both left with just 1% shares, officials said.
Prosecutors said Carbone and Hill filed another forged deed transfer in 2021 that…
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